16 apc edge connector

ABSTRACT

This invention comprises a spring sheet metal contact element for a printed circuit edge connector having a base plate from which extends a substantially flat cantilever contact arm with its plane substantially parallel to the base plate and having a contact portion for resilient engagement with a printed circuit panel, the arm being supported in spaced relationship to the base plate by a U-shaped bight allowing resilient displacement of the arm in its own plane by the printed circuit panel.

United States Patent Dechelette [54] 16 APC EDGE CONNECTOR [75] Inventor: Helen Dechelette, Saint Cloud,

France [73] Assignee: AMP Incorporated, Harrisburg, Pa.

[22] Filed: April 30, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 139,125

[52] US. Cl ..339/2l7 R, 339/258 R, 339/176 MP, I 339/17 L [51] Int. Cl. ..H01r 9/08 [58] Field of Search ..339/217, 256, 258, 259, 252, 339/176 MP, 17 L, 17 LM, 176 MP [56] I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS R26,692 10/1969 Ruehlemann ..339/258 P 3,518,610 6/1970 Goodman et al..... 3,594,708 7/1971 Lalonde ..339/l76 MP 3,233,208 2/1966 Ruehlemann et al ..339/176 3,133,780 5/1964 Dean ..339/258 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,498,649 9/1967 France ..339/176 MP Primary Examiner-Robert L. Wolfe Assistant Examiner-Robert A. Hafer Attorney-William J. Keating, Ronald D. Grefe, Gerald K. Kitta, Frederick W. Raring, Jay L. Seitchik, J. R. Flanagan and Allan B. Osborne [57] ABSTRACT This invention comprises a spring sheet metal contact element for a printed circuit edge connector having a base plate from which extends a substantially flat cantilever contact arm with its plane substantially parallel to the base plate and having a contact portion for resilient engagement with a printed circuit panel, the arm being supported in spaced relationship to the base plate by a U-shaped bight allowing resilient displacement of the arm in its own plane by the printed circuit panel.

5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED JAN 2 3 I973 SHEET 1 [1F 2 PATENTEDJAN23 \975 3,713,079

SHEET 2 OF 2 16 AFC EDGE CONNECTOR It is economical, to manufacture a contact element for a printed circuit edge connector from spring sheet metal, preferably by forming the whole contact element from a single sheet metal blank. In such case, it is convenient to form the contact element with'a base plate and either one or two contact arms, provided with contact surfaces, for engaging a printed circuit panel, extending from the baseplate. Conveniently, and in the interests of strength, the or each contact arm is flat and is moved resiliently in its own plan upon the connector being mated with a printed circuit panel to a conductor or conductors of which contact is to be made through the contact element. The susceptibility of such a contact arm to deformation in its own plane without taking on a permanent set is however strictly limited.

According to the present invention, a spring sheet metal contact element for a printed circuit edge connector comprises a base plate from which extends a substantially flat cantilever contact arm with its plane substantially parallel to the base plate and having a contact portion for resilient engagement with a printed circuit panel, the arm being supported in spaced relationship to the base plate by a U-shaped bight allowing resilient displacement of the arm in its own plane by the printed circuit panel.

With this construction, much of the movement of the arm is taken up by the U-shaped bight so that the arm itself is not deformed drastically by such movement. Thus wide tolerances in panel thickness are permissible.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference will now be made by way of example to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a contract element for a printed circuit edge connector;

FIG. 2 is an plan view of the contact element, drawn to a reduced scale; and

FIG. 3 is a perspective view, partly in section of a printed circuit edge connector comprising the contact element of FIGS. 1 and 2.

The contact element is formed from a single blank of spring sheet metal, for example spring brass, and comprises a substantially flat base plate 1 having at one end crimping ferrules 2 and 2 which have been crimped about the insulation and the electrically conductive core respectively of an insulated electrical wire 3. Substantially S-shaped flat contact arm 6, having contact portions 7 bent downwardly (as seen in FIG. 1) normally with respect to the planes of the arms 6, extend parallel to the base plate 1 and are connected to opposite edges of the base plate 1 by U-shaped bights 4 so as to be supported by the bights in spaced relationship to the base plate 1. The base plate 1 has extensions with tip portions 11 bent so as to lie behind the contact portions 7. The contact portions 7 have opposed arcuate contact surfaces 7' for resiliently engaging opposite sides of an edge portion (not shown) of a printed circuit panel (not shown).

As seen in plan view, the contact arms 6 have the general shape of a lyre, since they diverge from one another away from the bights 4 but are curved towards one another at 5 in the vicinity of their free ends. Upon insertion of the printed circuit panel between the contact surfaces 7, the contact arms 6 are spread apart from one another in a direction at right-angles to the plane of the printed circuit panel, each arm 6 being displaced in its own plane, this movement being taken up mainly by resilient deformation of the bights 4, the extensions 10 acting as stops to prevent such excessive V movement of the arms 6 as to cause plastic deformation the base plate 1. The bights 4 present shoulders 9 facing away from the ferrules 2 and 2'.

As shown in FIG. 3, an insulating housing 13 for the contact element described above, comprises an elongate channel-shaped first portion 20 and an elongate tubular second portion 21 formed integrally with the first portion 20 and being open at both ends. The second portion 21 has opposed side walls 22 (only one of which is shown) defining longitudinal opposed chan nels 14 (only one of which is shown) and beneath (as seen in FIG. 3) each of which is a ledge 15 connected to the lower (as seen in FIG. 3) wall of the adjacent channel 14 by a straight transition wall 16. The upper and lower (as seen in FIG. 3) walls of the housing portion 21 have aligned central longitudinal slots 17 opening at their right-hand (as seen in FIG. 3) ends into mouths defined by chamfered surfaces 18 for guiding the printed circuit panel edge portion (not shown) into the slots 17. Each slot 17 is closed at its left-hand (as seen in FIG. 3) end 24. The housing portion 21 has an internal shoulder 23 facing towards the mouths. Each side wall 22 has slightly to the left (as seen in FIG. 3) of the ends 24 of the slots 17 a shoulder 19 facing towards the housing portion 20.

The contact element is inserted into the housing 13 through the open side of the housing portion 20, with the arms 6 leading, until the shoulders 9 engage the shoulders19, the arms 6 being guided through the housing portion 21 in the channels 14 and the extensions 10 being supported by the ledges 15. The wire 3 and ferrules 2 and 2' are received in the portion 20.

During the insertion of the contact element into the housing 13, the locking tongue 12 is depressed by the lower. wall of the housing portion 21 until upon full in sertion of the contact element, the tongue 12 snaps back to its original position as to engage the shoulder 23' thus preventing withdrawal of the contact element from the housing 13.

Upon insertion of the edge portion of the printed circuit panel into the slots 17, the edge of the panel passes between the contact surfaces 7, forcing the arms 6 apart until the contact portions 7 engage the portions 11 of the extensions 10 which serve as current carriers additionally to the arms 6.

If contact is to be made to a conductor on only one side of a printed circuit panel, one of the contact arms may be omitted.

The housing portion 20 may be formed with a plurality of housing portions 21, the portion 20 in this case being of suitable length to accommodate the requisite number of portions 21 and being. sized. to receive the corresponding number of additional wires.

lclaim 1. A printed circuit edge connector comprising a contact element and a hollow insulating housing, the contact element comprising a base plate from which extends a substantially flat cantilever contact arm with its plane substantially parallel to the base plate and having a contact portion for resilient engagement with a printed circuit panel, the arm being supported in spaced relationship to the base plate by a U-shaped bight allowing resilient displacement of the arm in its own plane by the printed circuit panel, the housing comprising a pair of elongate housing portions extending substantially at right-angles to one another, one housing portion being channel-shaped and receiving means for connecting a wire to the base plate, the other housing portion being in the form of a tube which is open at both ends and one end of which communicates with the interior of the one housing portion, the other housing portion receiving the contact arm and the bight engaging a shoulder in the other housing portion to locate the contact element in the housing.

2. A spring sheet metal contact element for a printed circuit edge connector, the contact element comprising a base plate from which extends a substantially flat cantilever elongate contact arm having a contact portion for resilient engagement with a printed circuit panel, the arm being supported in spaced relationship to the base plate by a rolled-over U-shaped bight having one end connected to the base plate and another end overlying the base plate and connected to a lateral edge of the arm which lies in a plane substantially parallel to the base plate, the U-shaped bight allowing resilient displacement of the arm in its own plane by the printed circuit panel. I

3. A contact element according to claim 2 in which the contact portion extends normally of the plane of the arm, the displacement of the arm being limited by the engagement of the contact portion with an extension of the base plate.

4. A spring sheet metal contact element for a printed circuit edge connector, the contact element comprising a base plate from which extends a pair of substantially flat cantilever elongate contact arms, each said arm having a contact portion for resilient engagement with a printed circuit panel, said arms being supported in spaced relationship to the base plate by rolled-over U- shaped bights, each said bight having one end con- 7 nected to the base plate and another end overlying the base plate and connected to a lateral edge of a contact arm, said arms lying in a plane substantially parallel to the base plate, the U-shaped bights allowing a resilient displacement of the arms in their own plane by the printed circuit panel.

5. A spring sheet metal contact element for a printed circuit edge connector, the contact element comprising a base plate and a pair of substantially flat cantilever contact arms formed integrally with and extending in the same general direction from opposite edges of the base plate in substantially parallel relationship thereto, a lateral edge of each contact arm being connected to an edge of the base plate through a U-shaped bight so that the contact arm is supported in superposed spaced relationship with respect to the base plate, the arms having contact portions remote from the bights for resiliently gripping a printed circuit panel between the contact portions, the arms diverging from one another in a direction away from the bights and curved towards one another in the vicinity of their contact portions. 

1. A printed circuit edge connector comprising a contact element and a hollow insulating housing, the contact element comprising a base plate from which extends a substantially flat cantilever contact arm with its plane subStantially parallel to the base plate and having a contact portion for resilient engagement with a printed circuit panel, the arm being supported in spaced relationship to the base plate by a U-shaped bight allowing resilient displacement of the arm in its own plane by the printed circuit panel, the housing comprising a pair of elongate housing portions extending substantially at right-angles to one another, one housing portion being channel-shaped and receiving means for connecting a wire to the base plate, the other housing portion being in the form of a tube which is open at both ends and one end of which communicates with the interior of the one housing portion, the other housing portion receiving the contact arm and the bight engaging a shoulder in the other housing portion to locate the contact element in the housing.
 2. A spring sheet metal contact element for a printed circuit edge connector, the contact element comprising a base plate from which extends a substantially flat cantilever elongate contact arm having a contact portion for resilient engagement with a printed circuit panel, the arm being supported in spaced relationship to the base plate by a rolled-over U-shaped bight having one end connected to the base plate and another end overlying the base plate and connected to a lateral edge of the arm which lies in a plane substantially parallel to the base plate, the U-shaped bight allowing resilient displacement of the arm in its own plane by the printed circuit panel.
 3. A contact element according to claim 2 in which the contact portion extends normally of the plane of the arm, the displacement of the arm being limited by the engagement of the contact portion with an extension of the base plate.
 4. A spring sheet metal contact element for a printed circuit edge connector, the contact element comprising a base plate from which extends a pair of substantially flat cantilever elongate contact arms, each said arm having a contact portion for resilient engagement with a printed circuit panel, said arms being supported in spaced relationship to the base plate by rolled-over U-shaped bights, each said bight having one end connected to the base plate and another end overlying the base plate and connected to a lateral edge of a contact arm, said arms lying in a plane substantially parallel to the base plate, the U-shaped bights allowing a resilient displacement of the arms in their own plane by the printed circuit panel.
 5. A spring sheet metal contact element for a printed circuit edge connector, the contact element comprising a base plate and a pair of substantially flat cantilever contact arms formed integrally with and extending in the same general direction from opposite edges of the base plate in substantially parallel relationship thereto, a lateral edge of each contact arm being connected to an edge of the base plate through a U-shaped bight so that the contact arm is supported in superposed spaced relationship with respect to the base plate, the arms having contact portions remote from the bights for resiliently gripping a printed circuit panel between the contact portions, the arms diverging from one another in a direction away from the bights and curved towards one another in the vicinity of their contact portions. 